Before The Barricades Arise
by CanadianPolarBear10
Summary: Eponine has been in love with Marius for years now. What will lengths will she go to to get Marius to notice her?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I can't decide if this is going to be a one-shot or series of short chapters. So I may expand on this later. Let me know what you think I should do!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Les Mis.**

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**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 1**

Every day, I leave early in the morning and go try to make money in any way that I can. I deliver letters, offer to shine people's shoes, I try and sell things that I have made, but usually I resort to pick-pocketing so that my father may not beat me tonight. I don't like doing these jobs, but I suppose I understand, we are desperate for money just like everyone else is these days. So each evening, my brother Gavroche and I are expected to return home with a pouch of sous.

I wander the streets of Paris in the freezing cold and blowing snow, attempting to gather what I can when I see him, Marius Pontmercy. There he is goofing around with Joly and Grantaire and Enjolras, talking about the revolution no doubt. I've liked him for many years now, but I know he'll never notice me. His grandfather is among the wealthiest men in town so naturally, Marius could never be seen associating with me, the scum of the streets. However, maybe if I ask, he will be kind enough to give me a few sous. We are friends after all, we went to school together and I see him around town all the time.

"Hey there, monsieur." I call out to Marius.

He looks around and finds that it was me who called him.

"'Ponine!" he replies "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing alright." I answer.

"What's wrong? You seem a little out of it." Marius asks me.

"Nothing, it's just…" I trail off. I can't bring myself to ask him for money. He needs it just as badly as I do.

"Just what? What do you need 'Ponine?" he pressed.

"Okay, I was wondering, if you had a couple of sous to spare? It's been really hard for my family for the last little while and I know your grandpa's rich." I confessed.

"Of course!" he exclaimed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple sous and handed them to me. "I know it's not much but it's all I have with me right now."

I look at the pile of coins, it's more than I expected.

"I can't take all of this." I say as I put some back in his hand.

But he takes my hand and closes my fingers around what he has given me.

"It's fine, just take it." Marius insists.

"Thank you, Monsieur." I look up at him smiling and he returns the gesture. He is so genuinely sweet and kind.

"If you ever need anything 'Ponine, please don't hesitate to ask." He tells me.

I nod, but he is no longer paying attention.

Across the street, a beautiful girl with long, curly, blond hair and her father step out of a carriage.

I recognize that it is Cosette. Her and her father have been living in the outskirts of Paris for a few months now. I wonder what has brought them to this part of the city?

I notice Marius is ogling Cosette and is trying to get her attention. I just roll my eyes and walk away.

I bite my lip to keep from crying. I know I will never be good enough for Marius and he will never like me in that way, but if he asked, I'd be his.

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**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? **

**Please Read _and _Review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So I decided to do this in chapters or else it would be a really long one-shot. So here's chapter 2.**

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**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 2**

When I arrive home, I toss my pouch of sous on the table in front of my parents and I go upstairs to my room.

Looking out my window, down on the street below, I see Marius exchanging pieces of paper with Cosette. It's probably addresses and contact information.

I snap my shutters closed and I begin to break down. I am furious. Why can't Marius see that I'm the one for him? Cosette's probably never worked a day in her life and although Marius is wealthy he won't take any money that he hasn't earned. He says it's an integrity thing. There's more to people than what's on the surface and I wish Marius would understand that. Cosette probably doesn't even know Marius but since he's so attractive, she's fallen in love with him.

I hear Gavroche come home. I can't let him see me crying.

I wipe away my tears and pretend to be tidying up my bedroom.

Gavroche knocks on my door. I open it and let him in.

"Hey Eponine, how was your day?" he asks me.

"Fine." I answer simply.

"Then why were you crying?" he looks at me skeptically

"What?" I try and sound like I don't know what he's talking about.

"Don't lie 'Ponine, your eyes are all red." He says.

"Oh…well…it's just from the wind and cold." I tell him.

"I know that's not what it's from but if you don't want to tell me that's fine." Gavroche said.

"I'm sorry." I tell him and give him a hug.

"Listen, I need to go out tonight. Can you cover for me?" he asks.

"Where are you going?" I inquire.

"I have to get something for Marius." He tells me.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's nothing important." He quickly tells me.

"Okay." I know he's lying but I just lied to him we'll call it even. "Just don't do anything dangerous or stupid that could get you into trouble." I tell him sternly.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." He says brushing me off.

I agree to protect him and cover for him should our parents ask where he is.

"I'll me back later." He tells me as he climbs out my bedroom window. That in itself seems stupid and dangerous but he's done it before so I let it go.

I head downstairs and get a small bowl of leftover soup that was sitting on the stove and eat it up. My parents are nowhere to be seen so I guess Gavroche is safe from the wrath of my parents.

That night, I dream about Marius and I. There is rarely a night when I don't dream about him.

In tonight's dream, we are walking hand in hand down the street laughing and having a good time. I am no longer poor so I can be out in public with him. He picks me up and twirls me around and puts me down and kisses me gently on the lips. Then we go to his house for dinner and we eat a delicious meal, never looking away from each other. And at the end of the day, I get into bed with him, both of us just in our undergarments and well, you can guess what happens next.

I hear a window open and I jerk awake from my beautiful, sweet dream. Then I hear the door next to my bedroom close and I realize that Gavroche is home safe and sound. I crawl back under my blankets, still thinking about Marius. Oh, how I wish that dream had been real.

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**Hope you guys are liking it so far! :) Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, I try and clean up a little bit, maybe I'll get more money if I look more attractive, I grab my empty pouch and head out for the day. I carry a women's groceries home for her and I also feed her horse. Another man has asked me to shine his shoes for him, so I do. I also get lucky and find two sous on the street that someone had probably dropped them so I scoop those up.

Then I see Marius running towards me.

My heart leaps with excitement, maybe he wants to see me and hang out with me today!

But that is not the case.

"Eponine, will you do something for me?" he asks me.

"Anything, what can I do for you?" I ask him.

"Can you please take this letter to Cosette?" he asks. "I will pay you for your trouble as well." He adds.

My heart sinks. Not only does he not want to be with me, but he wants me to do something that will bring him closer to Cosette.

Reluctantly, I agree to take the message to Cosette.

"Thank you 'Ponine, you are such a great friend." Marius exclaims and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

I blush and give him sad sort of smile. I smile with my mouth, but not my eyes.

And then he is gone.

As I walk to Cosette's, I seriously debate not giving her the letter but I decide that Marius has made his choice. He wants to be with her and not with me. I won't give up on him but I want him to be happy so I won't interfere…for now.

I want to know what Marius sees in Cosette that he does not see in me. Why is he interested in her and not me?

Then, I figure there might be some answers in the letter.

Very carefully, I open the letter so that it can be resealed and it will appear as if I hadn't opened it.

The letter reads:

_My dear Mademoiselle Cosette,_

_I apologize for the rushed conversation we had yesterday. I never got the chance to tell you how beautiful and gentle you are. I would love to get to know more about you. I was hoping you would be able to meet me sometime soon for dinner? But for now you remain a mystery, a mystery that I hope to unravel soon enough. Please send a reply soon._

_Sincerely, Marius Pontmercy_

I notice that my face is wet with tears. Marius has never told me how beautiful I am or that he wants to spend time with me but oh how I wish he would, even though he never will. But he has given his heart to someone else, someone who he barely knows. You can't fall in love with someone just because they are beautiful on the outside; it's what's on the inside that counts.

Carefully, I reseal the letter and continue on my way to Cosette's.

When I arrive at Cosette's, I decide to knock on the door rather than leave the message in the letterbox.

A man, presumably her father, answers the door.

"I have a letter for Cosette." I tell him.

"I will see that she gets it." He assures me and puts a few coins in my hand.

"Thank you, monsieur." I say and I turn to leave.

I head back to the main part of town, fighting my tears.

Is it bad that I just want him to love me? I've never had someone in my life love me before. My parents don't care about me, they just care about money, I don't have many friends, the only person I'm certain loves me and I love in return is Gavroche.

I arrive back and it's mid-afternoon so everyone is out and about enjoying the day. Today isn't as cold as it has been recently and it's just lightly snowing. I immediately spot Marius and Enjolras. I can spot Marius a mile away.

"I delivered your letter to Cosette." I tell him.

"Again, thank you so much 'Ponine!" he exclaims and gives me a hug.

Wow! A hug and kiss from Marius Pontmercy on the same day!

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a few sous.

I push him away, "No, I don't want your money, sir."

"Please take it. I know you need it Eponine." He insists taking my pouch and dropping the coins in.

"Okay, thank you." I say.

"Why are you so upset these days 'Ponine?" Marius asks

"I'm not upset, I'm fine." I tell him.

"You don't seem fine." He observes.

"I'm fine." I repeat firmly.

"Okay, well if you ever need anything…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll let you know." I cut him off.

I'm tired of being a sob story and him offering to help me. I want there to be more between us than just him being my support system.

"Okay…well I have to go, I have some stuff to take care of." Marius tells me. "So I'll see you later, okay?"

"Right." I reply, nodding.

He smiles at me and then he is gone.

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**Anything I should add, change, write next?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 4**

I am so tired of being brushed off by Marius! I made up my mind-I am going to tell him how I feel!

I turn on my heel and follow Marius and Enjolras to find out what Marius needs to "take care of."

If it's anything to do with Cosette, I swear I will slap that boy!

I follow them until they reach Le Café Musain. It's a little late for lunch and a little early for dinner, what are they doing?

I follow the two boys inside and they run upstairs. I'm close behind, but not close enough to be seen or heard.

They are in a room that is packed full of people, mostly men but there are a few women and there are red flags plastered to the walls.

Once Marius and Enjorlas are deep within the crowd I move up the stairs and sit right at the top of the staircase outside the door but out of sight so I can hear what's going on.

"The last time we all met, we discovered that General Lamarque is ill and fading fast." Enjorlas began speaking and the room went quiet.

"We need to make a plan of how we are going to call everyone together to take up arms and take back our freedom!" Enjorlras continued.

Of course, this is a meeting about the revolution. They are planning to overthrow the government.

"We should also figure out how we are actually going to take down government army." Grantaire piped up.

"Yes, well we can make gunpowder, and I suggest barricades for our protection." Said Enjolras.

"We want to minimize casualties so we need as much protection as we possibly can." Marius said.

Then I heard a pair of shoes running up the stairs. I quickly got up and hid out of the way.

When the footsteps reached within two feet of me, I saw that it was Gavroche.

Gavroche couldn't be here he was only a child. Fighting in a revolution was no place for him. I couldn't bear to see him get hurt. But I couldn't tell him that without letting him know I was there. So I stayed quiet and continued to listen to the meeting and revolution plans.

"General Lamarque is dead!" Gavroche told everyone.

This caused quite a stir among the crowd of people.

"This is very interesting news, thank you Gavroche." Enjorlas exclaimed.

"I propose that following Lamarque's funeral procession, we build our barricades." Enjolras said.

"We ought to build a few barricades and divide people up accordingly." Joly suggested. "Cover all the major streets."

"Yes, good idea, Joly." Marius agreed.

"Then someone acquire a map, and we will meet again tomorrow, same time, same place, to map out where our barricades need to be and go over final preparations." Enjorlas declared.

Everyone in the room let out a loud cheer!

The meeting sounded like it had concluded and that was my cue to leave before anyone realized I was there.

But I wasn't quick enough to get out. Marius had spotted me and followed me out into the street.

I walked as fast as I could but Marius ran after me and caught a hold of my arm and stopped me.

"Eponine?" Marius asked "What were doing at the café?

"Well…I…umm…" I stammered

"Did you hear the entire meeting?" he asked.

"Yes." I admitted. "I followed you because I was going to tell you-" I stopped mid-sentence. "I was going to see what you were up to." I continued.

I had almost blurted out that I followed him to tell him how I feel but now didn't seem like the right time.

"Eponine, you shouldn't be a part of the revolution. It's too dangerous." Marius tells me.

"I want to be a part of the fight. I want freedom just as much as the rest you." I said.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt or even die at the barricade 'Ponine." He says softly, not meeting my eyes.

"Neither could I. I couldn't live without you being in my life." I admitted.

I struggle to find the right words to tell him how I feel.

"I die a little every day knowing that I'll never be the one for you?" I say.

"What?" Marius looks shocked.

"Marius, I've liked you as more than friends for a long time." I finally tell him. "But I know you don't feel the same way. You're interested in Cosette."

"'Ponine, I had no idea." He says.

I could tell he felt really bad.

"I know. But if we're going to die fighting for freedom, I thought you should know."

"I'll tell you what, if we survive in the barricades, we'll see about you and me." He says and pulls me into a tight hug.

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**How are you guys liking it so far (if at all)? Send me a review and let me know! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey! Here's more to the story. I'm not really sure where to go with this story after this so it might be a little longer until I update again but if you have any suggestions, please tell me!**

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**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 5**

Three days later, it is the day of General Lamarque's funeral procession. This is our sign that the revolution is about to begin.

Over the last three days, I have spent the majority of my time at Le Café Musain with the other revolutionaries planning and preparing for this day.

It's all kind of exciting, that much I have to admit.

It's also kind of scary though. We know the French army is strong and we may not survive but it's a chance we have to take.

Just hours before the funeral, we are working on final preparations.

We each wear a blue, red, and white circular patch on our chests, showing that we are part of the rebellion.

Marius gave me some of his old clothes for me to change into so that I can blend in with the others better.

And they still smell like him too!

The procession is to start at 2 o'clock and the entire city is expected to attend.

Just as we are leaving, Marius pulls me aside.

"'Ponine, I don't know what's going to happen out there so if I should die, I want you to know that I love you." Marius whispers, pulling me closer to him.

"I love you too." I tell him. "But you're not going to die. I will protect you."

"And I will protect you. And with any luck, we can both get out of this alive." He says.

"What about Cosette?" I ask.

"I don't want to talk about Cosette." He says. "She doesn't matter to me anymore."

This was a strange turn of events.

"What happened?" I ask.

"I went to her house the other day and saw she left a letter on the garden wall. It was addressed to me. The letter said that she was going to England." He admitted.

"I'm so sorry." I tell him.

I do feel bad for him since I did want him to be happy, but I can't feeling very happy because now Cosette was out of the picture and Marius could be mine!

"It doesn't matter." He brushes me off.

"Come on! We have a revolution to start!" he declares, grabbing my hand and pulling me out into the Parisian streets

Together, we walk hand in hand down the streets of Paris until we reach the main road, just like in my dreams.

We find Enjolras and Grantaire and the others and go stand with them and stand quietly and respectfully.

Enjorlas had a red flag hidden behind his back and a gun in his pocket hidden by his jacket. He reached over and grabbed another flag that was on the ground in the crowed of revolutionaries and handed it to Marius. Marius too, hid it behind his back and made sure his own gun was hidden.

Only a few people had guns, they didn't want things to get too out of control today before the barricades were built. There were more guns and gunpowder back at the café.

We hear the sound of the marching band and choir that are leading the procession.

They are marching somberly up the street singing a sad song and Lamarque's guards carrying the coffin are right behind them.

This is our cue.

As the music fades, us revolutionaries start a chant of "Vive la France" and it grows steadily louder and louder.

Marius and Enjolras run out into the middle of the street waving their flags and rallying people to join in the fight that will give them the right to be free.

They lead the rambunctious crowd towards the café where one of the barricades will be built.

The crowd is fired up and ready for a rebellion!

As we approach the café we start shouting for people to throw down any furniture or heavy items they may have to build the barricade with.

People are running home to grab whatever food, money and survival items they might need and bringing them back to the barricade.

I see my mother and father coming towards me.

"Come on 'Ponine, Let's go Gavroche!" shouts my mother.

"We need to get to the sewers and get underground!" my father adds.

"No Papa." Gavroche says. "We're going to be part of this fight."

My father looks like his head is going to explode.

"Fine! Do what you want but know that we don't care if you die!" my father hollers at us.

I grip Gavroche's shoulders and stand there in defiance. We're not going to die. I'm not going to let that happen.

Then we see Marius beckoning for us to come. With one last look at our parents Gavroche and I follow Marius into the chaos.

"Eponine, Gavroche, get into the café. It's safest in there right now." Marius tells us.

"You don't need help building the barricade?" I ask as I look around at the furniture flying everywhere.

"Move what you can into the pile outside the café then get inside." Marius instructs us.

"Yes, sir" Gavroche answers as he picks up a solid, wooden chair in each hand.

He's strong for such a little pup.

I pile some stuff on a dining table nearby and begin to push the table towards the barricade.

"Let me help you." Marius says grabbing one end of the table.

"Thank you, monsieur." I tell him as I lift up the other end.

"I'm glad you're fighting 'Ponine." Marius tells me.

"Me too." I say and we throw the table onto the barricade.

"Let's just hope we make it out of this alive." Marius says to me as we look into the eye of the oncoming storm.

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**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? Please Read _and _Review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I just want to give a quick ****shoutout to everyone who has reviewed this story! Thank you very much! xoxo  
Anyways, enjoy this chapter!  
PS-THE LES MIS CAST AT THE OSCARS WAS AMAZING! THEY ARE PERF!**

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**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 6**

Late that night we hear boots and horse hooves rhythmically marching down the cobblestone street. The French army had arrived.

"Positions! Positions!" Enjolras hisses at us.

Suddenly the barricade is a flurry of activity. We all hide, grab weapons, move supplies and whatever else we were told to do.

I move into my position behind Marius. He said he's going to stay near me to protect me. Isn't he sweet?

Marius has a gun and a sword and I have a knife in my pocket and I am holding a torch.

I want to do more but the men around here won't let me or the other women do much of anything that puts us at risk.

I told Marius that I wanted to join in the fight so he gave me a knife so I had something to protect myself if I get into trouble.

Then I see Gavroche climbing the barricade. If he goes any higher up the army on the other side will see him and shoot him.

"Gavroche, get down from there." I hiss at him.

He sees me and says "'Ponine, I'll be fine."

"Stop climbing!" I say a little louder.

"Gavroche, stay down." Marius also says to him.

"I want to know what's happening." He says and keeps climbing.

I have to stop him.

I start climbing up the barricade towards Gavroche.

"Eponine! Come back here!" Marius hisses at me.

"I have to get Gav. He is not going to get hurt." I hiss back.

"He knows what he's doing. He's been coming to the meetings for months." He tells me.

"I don't care. He's my brother and I love him and he's too young to die." I say as I keep climbing.

I hear Marius let out a sigh of exasperation and I look back and see that he is climbing the barricade too.

"Gav, get back here!" I hiss at him.

"Eponine, stop!" Marius hisses at me.

"I've got to get my brother." I tell him fiercely.

"He's stopped climbing it's fine." Marius says.

"He's too close to the top. He could be seen and shot and there's no way in hell I'm going to let that happen." I yell at him.

"I'm fine." Gavroche calls down.

"Please come down just a little bit." I say.

"I'm fine." Gavroche repeats.

Suddenly it is silent. The marching has stopped and everyone at the barricade freezes in their positions. The people at the top are pointing guns at the army and there is a red flag sitting at the top of the barricade.

"Who's there?" yells a French army officer.

"FRENCH REVOLUTION!" shouts Enjolras.

"Aim…Fire!" shouts the officer

Suddenly the night air is filled with earsplitting gunshots.

I look up and I see Gavroche pull out his own gun.

"Okay, who the hell gave Gavroche a gun?" I shout at Marius.

"He must have grabbed one when we were choosing our weapons." Marius says. "We didn't choose who got what."

"A ten year old should not have a gun!" I yell exasperated and keep climbing.

Gavroche gets into a position to shoot and pulls the trigger.

"Gavroche, you're too far down for that to be of any use." Enjolras shouts up at him. "Save your gunpowder."

This only motivates him to climb higher, faster.

I pick up the pace as well.

"Eponine, let him go and come back down." Marius calls to me.

I ignore this and keep climbing.

"I can't lose you!" Marius says.

I stop.

"I can't lose you." He repeats to himself. "I swore to protect you."

I am too stunned to move. But the gunfire reminds me that there is a war going on. I'm closer to Gavroche at this point but I want to go back to Marius. I keep climbing to Gavroche.

As I reach the top I can see what's happening. Guns pointed every which way, gunpowder makes the sky cloudy, and dead bodies on the street.

I take it all in and see a gun about 6 feet away pointed at Gavroche.

I grab him by the bottom of his pants and pull him down and scramble in front of him and the bullet hits me square in the shoulder. The force of it knocks me off balance and I fall down the barricade towards the cobblestone street.

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**Oooh cliffhanger! I'll try and update soon so I don't leave you hanging too long! **

**Anyways, you know the drill, read it and review it! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I ****left you guys with a cliffhanger and this is what happens next. :)**

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**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 7**

I slowly wake up on the cobblestone street behind the barricade. I blink a few times and look around. My head is in Marius' lap and Enjolras, Grantaire and Gavroche are all huddled around me.

Gavroche, thank god he's okay. I let out a sigh of relief.

"'Ponine, you're alive!" Marius says smiling.

"Get her to Joly. He can take care of her." I hear Enjorlas say.

Marius picks me up and carries me inside the café.

"Joly, can you look after Eponine?" Marius asks.

"What happened?" Joly asks in return.

"She got shot in the shoulder and then fell from near the top of the barricade." Marius explains.

"I'll see what I can do." Joly tells him. "Can you put her on that table over there?"

"Sure thing. Thank you, Joly." Marius says.

"Oh you will live 'Ponine, dear god above, if I could close your wounds with words of love." Marius says to me.

"Just hold me now, and let it be. Shelter me, comfort me." I tell him.

"I have to get back outside, and wait for this attack to be over but I'll be back later.

"Of course." Joly replies.

Joly's got about half of the café set up as a medical treatment area. He is currently in school to become a doctor some day so he's in charge of medical here.

Joly goes and washes his hands in the sink behind the bar and comes back with two cold, wet cloths.

He puts one cloth on my forehead and the other on my shoulder where I got shot.

He says "I'm going to ask you some questions and I need you to answer them as best as you can."

I nod in response.

"What is your name?" he begins

"Eponine Thénardier." I respond.

"Good, do you know where you are right now?" he asks.

"Inside the café." I answer.

"Okay, what happened to you?" he asks me.

"I fell." I tell him.

"Good. Can you sit up for me?" he asks.

I sit up. "I need you to follow my finger with your eyes." He instructs.

Joly begins to draw circles and squares and squiggles in the air with his finger and I watch.

But the pain in my shoulder is too much. I collapse back down on the table.

"Eponine! What's the matter?" Joly asked.

"My shoulder really hurts." I tell him.

"Okay. Let's get that bullet out. I'll be right back." He replies.

I try and breathe slowly in an out trying to relax and ignore the pain.

I see Joly return with his operating tools that he will need to remove the bullet.

"Eponine, I'm going to help you get out of your shirt and jacket. You'll be just in your undergarments. But you can leave your pants on if you'd like."

I nod.

Together, we are able to get the jacket off but it wasn't without pain. It makes it harder when you can't move your arm.

The shirt however is more difficult. So Joly gets his scissors and begins cutting the fabric away from my wound but he doesn't try to move me.

I look at the pile of fabric on the floor and remember that they were Marius' clothes. Oh well, I'm sure it's fine.

Outside, the sound of cannons and gunfire has stopped. I guess that's the end of the fight for tonight.

All around me dead bodies and wounded people are being brought in so that Joly and some others can heal them but right now I am Joly's priority.

"Marius, come here." Joly calls.

"How is she doing?" Marius asks, looking down at me.

I suddenly become very aware that I am only in my undergarments in front of Marius.

"I'm okay. I'm in good hands." I tell him.

"How is it that you still look beautiful?" he says to me giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I smile at him. It's good to see him still alive.

"She seems to have a mild concussion and I need to get the bullet out of her shoulder." Joly explains. "It's going to be very painful for her." He whispers. "I need you to go hold her hand and distract her."

Marius comes around on the other side of the table and grabs my hand and squeezes it tight.

"I am so sorry this happened to you 'Ponine." He says.

"It could've been anyone. I'm just glad it wasn't you." I tell him.

"You are so sweet, but I promised to protect you and I failed to do so." He says sadly.

"It's not your fault. I should be able to watch out for myself." I say.

"At least you aren't dead." He says trying to lighten the mood.

I give him a little smile.

"Where's Gav? How is he? Is he okay?" I ask him.

"Gavroche is fine, he's over with Enjolras right now." Marius responds.

Suddenly I feel a sharp shooting pain in my shoulder and I let out a loud shriek.

"OW GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING? JESUS THAT HURTS!" I scream.

"Eponine, you'll be fine, the bullet is out of your shoulder now." Joly tells me as he pushes down on my shoulder with both hands and all his weight.

"DAMN IT JOLY THAT HURT." I yell.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry but it had to be done." He answers.

"'Ponine, stop yelling, it's all done now." Marius says leaning over and kissing me on the lips. I guess that's his way of telling me to shut up.

"I know." I say, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for treating me, Joly and thank you for making sure Joly treated me, Marius." I tell them both.

"You're very welcome, Eponine. You'll feel better soon." Joly says "You can take her upstairs to one of the rooms so she can recover some more and get better sooner." Joly tells Marius.

"I told you, you would live." Marius says smiling and he picks me up and carries me upstairs.

"Yay, more days living in this war that might as well be hell." I say. "But we could still make it out. Together." Replies Marius.

* * *

******Woah, this is my longest chapter so far! Hope you liked it! **

**What did you think? I could really use some feedback! :) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 8**

Marius carries me into a room that is close to the stairs so I can still hear what's going on with the revolution. He lays me in the bed that is positioned next to the window.

"Oh Eponine, how did this happen?" he says sadly looking at me.

"This damn war and the damn government." I answer.

"Hopefully it will be over soon and we will have our freedom." Marius says.

"I'm not going to count on it." I say. "High hopes only lead to disappointment."

Marius just nods in response. "Let's get you cleaned up a bit then I will let you rest."

He leaves the room and I can't help but realize that I have Marius' undivided attention. I wish I didn't have to get seriously wounded for him to notice me though. I want him to like me for who I am, not because he feels obligated to take care of me. But still, he did say if we got out alive we would see about us.

Marius returns with a cloth, a basin of hot water, and another blanket.

"Can you sit up?" he asks.

I obey and push myself up with my one good arm.

He soaks the cloth in the water, wrings in out and starts cleaning the blood off of my arm the dirt off my face.

"Thank you, monsieur." I tell him.

"I'd do anything for you." He tells me.

I manage a smile.

"Where is your family in all of this madness, 'Ponine?" Marius asks.

"Well, Gavroche is downstairs and I don't know and honestly don't really care where my parents are." I reply.

"They're your parents though."

"Yeah, and they've treated me like shit ever since Cosette left when we were kids." I snap at him.

"You knew Cosette when you were little?" He asks.

"Yeah, we grew up together. My parents took her in made her do everything and treated her like shit but then she got picked up by some guy one day." I explain.

"That's awful." Marius exclaims.

"Face it, me and Gav were raised by criminals and we're both kind of criminals." I say.

"No you're not." He says.

"Yes we are. We usually resorted to pickpocketing in order to bring home enough sous for our parents." I tell him.

"Why didn't you come to me? I could've helped." He asks.

"Because I didn't want to be just a sad sob story and I didn't want you to waste all your money on me." I say.

"It wouldn't have been a waste. My grandfather just usually stored away money and never did anything with it." Marius says.

"Oh…" I didn't really know how to reply to that. "Where's your grandfather now?"

"I have no idea." Marius says sadly.

He wraps me up in the other blanket that he got for me and tucks me into bed.

"I'll let you get some sleep. The more you rest, the faster you'll heal." he says to me leaning over and giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"Marius, will you stay with me tonight?" I ask.

"Of course I will if you want me to." He replies.

He takes off his bloody shirt and shoes and crawls into bed with me.

He rolls over and looks at me and I look at him and smile.

"You are so beautiful." He whispers.

"Thank you, so are you."

I run my fingers through his hair and get lost in his gorgeous green eyes.

He moves over closer to me so that our noses are less than an inch away from each other.

I lean in closing the gap between us and press my lips against his. His lips are soft and warm and he is kissing me back, hard.

He pulls me in so that I am on top of his bare chest. Our fingers are tangled in each other's hair and we are still kissing fiercely.

I roll off of Marius back onto the mattress and slow down to a gentle kiss before pulling away.

Neither of us say anything, we just stare deep into each other's eyes and smile.

"Good night, Eponine." He says to me and gives me one more gentle kiss on the mouth.

"Sleep well." I reply softly.

I really didn't want that moment to end. That was what I'd been dreaming of for years. Marius and I, in bed, kissing. But somehow I didn't think that was the last time that we would do that. I think after tonight, I can finally safely say that Marius is mine.

* * *

**Well, Marius and Eponine are finally together! I really liked writing this chapter and I hoped you guys enjoyed it too!  
**

**And this week is march break so I'll post a couple new updates this week hopefully :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Sorry, I meant to update this a day or two ago but my march break has actually been busier than I anticipated. But here's the next chapter!**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 9**

"Eponine, Eponine, can you hear me?" a voice asks. "If you can hear me, wave."

I blink a couple times and look around. I see Joly standing over me. I also notice that Marius is gone.

I wave. "Hey Joly."

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Sore." I tell him as I sit up in bed.

"Yeah, it'll probably be like that for a few days but take this and the pain should subside for a little while." Joly says, handing me some painkillers.

"Thanks." I say, swallowing the medications and glass of water.

"Sure thing. Do you need anything else? Food? Water? A bath?" Joly asks.

"No, I'm fine." I tell him. "But thanks. Hey, do you think I could go downstairs today?"

"It's probably better if you rest but if you really want to and you're feeling up to it, then I don't see why not." He replies.

"Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay." Joly says as he leaves, closing the door behind him.

I am still smiling from last night. I really want to see Marius or else I probably wouldn't get out of bed. But he's worth the pain.

I push off the blankets and stand up. I feel a little dizzy but I shake it off.

I realize that I'm still only in my undergarments.

I glance around the room to see if there are some clothes that I could wear, but I'm not seeing anything other than my pants from the other night.

So I pull on the pants and then I take one of the blankets off the bed and wrap it around my torso and take some hair pins to hold it tight.

I try to hide the rat's nest that is my hair but spinning it up into a bun then putting a hat on but there are still loose pieces everywhere so I give up and head downstairs.

Downstairs is a bustle of activity already even though it's just after sunrise. No doubt, some of the revolutionaries had been up all night keeping watch.

"Eponine!" I hear a voice call.

I turn around and see that it's Gavroche.

"How are you? Are you okay? I'm sorry! This is all my fault!" Gavroche exclaims.

"Shhh, it's not your fault Gav." I tell him pulling him into a tight hug.

"Yes it is. If I hadn't climbed the barricade like you said you wouldn't have had to climb after me and get shot." He protests.

"Gav, I'm fine. It's okay. I know you want to be a part of this fight and I know you're well prepared for it. And you've got Marius, Enjolras and me looking out for you." I tell him.

"Well, I'm just happy you're doing alright." Gavroche tells me.

"And I'm happy that you're still alive." I tell him.

"I've got to go help rebuild the barricade, or at least fix it up." He says.

"Go, do what you need to do." I say and give him a kiss on the forehead.

I see Marius at the other end of the room cleaning and reloading weapons.

"Hey there, Monsieur." I say.

"Good morning, sunshine." Marius says giving me a kiss.

"I am agog. I am aghast! Is Marius in love at last? I've never seen him 'ooh' and 'ahh'" I hear Grantaire say. I didn't realize he was standing nearby.

"Shut up." Marius says giving his friend a friendly punch on the arm.

"I'll leave you two alone." Grantaire says, winking at me.

"Don't mind him, he's just jealous." Marius says.

I just laugh.

"How are you feeling today 'Ponine?" he asks.

"Not bad. Joly gave me some medicine already." I tell him.

"That's good. Did you sleep well?" Marius inquires giving me a smile.  
"Oh yes, I did."

He smiles at me with that beautiful smile.

"So where does this leave us? Are we together now or…?" I inquire.

"Well, I don't want to call anyone else mine." Marius says.

"Me neither."

"Then I suppose this leaves us together." He says.

He pulls me in close and gives me a passionate kiss.

"Finally." I whisper.

"What?" he says.

"Marius, I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and now here we are finally together. It's like my dream came true." I say taking his hands in mine.

"How come you never said anything to me?" he asks.

"Because you never seemed interested in dating anyone let alone me. And then Cosette came to town and you were interested in her. I thought I was just trapped as your friend because we were best friends."

"My lover and best friend can be the same person you know. If you'd said something sooner we could've been together sooner."

"Really? You liked me like that?"

"Well, I never really thought about it but I wouldn't have said no." Marius admitted. "You are so kind and beautiful and smart and strong and you always have been."

I don't know what to say so I just kiss him.

"I love you, Eponine." He whispers.

"I love you too." I tell him and pull him into an amorous hug.

* * *

**Awwehh, how cute are they?! **

**Hope you guys liked it and I'll try to update again before the end of the week!**

**Please Review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Warning: This chapter may cause feels.**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 10**

Marius and I are interrupted by someone whistling from outside. "They're coming!" a voice calls.

Everyone starts rushing around the café gathering weapons and supplies getting into position for a fight.

"'Ponine, go back upstairs. You'll be safest there." Marius says.

"What about you?"

"I have to fight this through, I'll be fine."

"Look out for Gavroche, will you?" I say to him.

"Of course." He says, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

He grabs his gun off the table and hurries outside with the others.

I see Gavroche over by the door getting the last of his things ready.

"Gavroche." I call.

He turns around and sees me.

"Be careful." I say.

"Don't worry, I will be." He assures me, and wraps his arms around me.

I smile at him and he too, follows the others outside.

I don't want to go upstairs and just be like a princess in a tower waiting to be rescued. I want to help out and do what I can. I want to be a part of this fight too.

I notice Joly is clearing some space on tables for those who will surely get wounded and he is cleaning up his medical supplies.

"Hey, Joly. Do you need any help with anything?"

"You should be resting upstairs. You aren't really in the right condition to be doing anything." He says.

"Please, just little things to keep me busy. Cleaning, organizing anything?"

"Well, if you want you could straighten up the weapons table and move it closer to the door so they can quickly grab new weapons if they need to."

"Sure thing." I say.

"Don't overexert yourself. If you get dizzy or feel sharp shooting pains in your shoulder, go upstairs and rest."

"Yes, monsieur." I say and I begin tidying up and organizing the guns and knives and swords on the table.

Outside, I hear guns firing, shouting, the clanging of metal swords and knives against each other. I can't wait for this all to be over and we can live again in peace and freedom.

I try to move the table over next to the door but my shoulder won't let me and I double over in pain.

Joly sees me. "Eponine, go upstairs. I'll be up in a minute with more medications for you." He instructs.

This time I obey and head up.

I pull the chair that's in the room over to the window so I can see what's going on.

Hand to hand combat, shooting each other, the French army seems to have cannons or something and there are bodies everywhere.

I want to look away but I just can't.

I spot Gavroche sitting close to the top of the barricade. Marius is just below him. He is within arm's reach of Gavroche. I let out a sigh of relief.

But then I see a French soldier climbing the barricade from the other side.

I open the window and holler at the top of my lungs "Look out, soldier climbing up the other side!"

Frantically, everyone below looks around. Marius sees me and waves, and shouts "Thank you!"

The soldier is getting closer to the top and closer to Gavroche.

"Gavroche get down!" I shout.

Marius is also trying to pull down him down.

Gavroche is now sitting on top of the barricade and he starts kicking the French soldier in the face and hitting him with his sword.

"Eponine, your painkillers." Joly says entering the room.

"Thank you, monsieur." I say and he hands me the pills and a glass of water. I swallow the pills and the water and hand the glass back to him.

"I'll be back downstairs if you need anything else." He says.

"Okay." I say.

"Gavroche, stop and come back!" I hear Marius calling to him.

Gavroche is ignoring him and continues to hit the soldier.

"Never kick a dog because he's just a pup so you better run for cover when the pup grows up!" Gavroche is yelling.

Then suddenly _BANG_!

There is a gunshot that came from the army side and I see the person with a gun pointed directly at Gavroche.

The bullet hits him square in the chest and Gavroche falls limp and falls back into Marius' arms.

I see that Gav is not moving and his eyes are starring into nothingness.

"NOOOO!" I shout out the window.

* * *

**Well, I hope you like that even if it did hurt. Reviews? :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I apologize for the long time between updates. I actually had school work this week. I've had hardly any this semester. **

**Anyways, I meant to post this on the 22nd to celebrate the Les Mis DVD release but that didn't happen. But I hope you're all enjoying your DVD's xD**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 11**

My feet are moving before my brain can register what I'm doing. I sprint down the stairs as fast as I can.

This did not just happen. Gavroche is not dead.

I run out the front door and see Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire and Courfeyrac kneeling beside Gavroche.

Courfeyrac is weeping like a little baby and is cradling Gavroche in his arms.

I join the group on the ground and Marius immediately reaches for me and pulls me into a tight embrace. I cry on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry 'Ponine." He says through his tears after a few minutes.

"This is my fault. I was supposed to protect him." Courfeyrac sobs.

Enjolras says nothing but there are tears in his eyes.

"It's no one's fault." I choke out. "He knew what he was getting into."

"The thing is Eponine, none of us were too keen on the idea of Gavroche being in on the revolution since he was so young. But he was so enthusiastic and willing to do anything, so Enjolras said he could stick around and I was told to keep an eye on him. I was in charge of him." Grantaire explained and he starts crying again.

"I don't blame you. Any of you." I say.

"I never should have let him join us." Enjolras mutters under his breath.

I can see that he is struggling to be the strong, fearless leader of the rebellion.

I reach over and squeeze Enjolras' hand.

"If it makes you feel better, he died brave. He did well." Enjolras says to me.

We are quiet and take in that there is still fighting going on all around us.

"This has to end right now." Grantaire says through his tears "Make them pay for every man!"

Marius grabs a torch and starts climbing the barricade.

At the top of the barricade there is a barrel of gunpowder.

"STOP!" Marius hollers at us.

"GET BACK." Marius shouts.

The French army is not listening by the looks of it.

Marius takes the torch and lowers it towards the barrel.

"HALT!" yells the French General.

"Move and I blow the barricade." Marius threatens.

"Blow it up and take yourself with it." The General counters.

"And myself with it." Marius says and lowers the torch closer to the gunpowder.

Finally, I hear the General yell, "RETREAT!"

Marius climbs down the barricade. We all let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on, let's put him with the others." Marius says.

Enjolras picks up Gavroche and carries him around to the side of the café and lays him down carefully with the others who gave their lives for freedom.

"Can I have a minute alone?" I say to the others.

"Of course." Enjolras says.

"I'll meet you inside." Marius whispers and kisses my forehead.

Once I'm alone, I break down and start crying again.

"Gav, baby, I'm so sorry." I whimper. "I didn't want any of this to happen to you."

I wipe away my tears.

"I'm proud of you for fighting for what you believe in." I cry.

I straighten out his clothes and hair a little bit.

"I love you." I whisper as I wrap my arms around him and kiss him on the forehead.

I stand up and wipe off my tear-streaked face and head back into the café where the others are.

Marius greets me inside and he pulls into his arms and holds me close. He knows that I've been crying.

"Joly, can we get two glasses of water please?" Marius asks.

"Sure, just a minute." Joly replies.

Marius leads me over to the table in the corner.

"I really am sorry." Marius apologizes.

"It's not your fault." I tell him.

"I failed to protect him and I promised you I would." He tries.

I put my head in my hands.

"I just didn't want to lose him." I cry. "I don't have any family any more."

"But you have me." Marius says putting a hand on my shoulder.

I give him a sad sort of smile.

"I lost Gavroche. I won't lose you too. I can't lose two Thenardier's." he says to me.

Joly comes over with two glasses of water and some crackers.

"Thank you, monsieur." I say to him.

"I'm sorry about Gavroche." Joly says. "He was such a brave, strong kid."

"Yeah, he was." I say.

"How are you doing, Marius?" Joly asks him.

"I'm alright." He replies.

"Good. I've got to get back to tending to the wounded." Says Joly and leaves us.

"It's good you've got Joly around." I say. "He's helped a lot of people."

"Including you, of course." Marius says.

"Yes, including me."

"He's studying to be a doctor, you know." Marius tells me.

"He'd make a great doctor. He's good at this." I say.

"I agree."

Then Enjolras comes over.

"How are you guys holding up?" he asks.

"Okay, I suppose." I say.

Enjolras nods.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Marius asks.

"No, you two should go upstairs and rest. You've been through a lot already today."

"Thank you for your compassion, Enjolras. If you need anything at all, Joly knows where my room is. You can find us there." I tell him

"Don't do anything to crazy." Enjolras says, winking at Marius.

Marius just rolls his eyes and takes me by the hand and leads me upstairs.

* * *

**Well, did you like it? Yes? No? Kind of? Review? :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 12**

Back upstairs, I sit on the edge of my bed and look at Marius.

"What do I do now?" I ask. "I have no family left. Gavroche is dead. My parents are god knows where doing god knows what. I'm all alone."

"Remember that you've got me 'Ponine." Marius says, sitting down beside me and he puts his arm around my shoulder.

I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I've never felt so alone though. It's a big world out there and all this fighting it makes the world seem like a scary place." I admit.

"But when the fighting is done we will live in a world that is new that is free." Marius says.

"Too bad so many people who are fighting for change will never get to see this new world." I say. I can't help but think of Gavroche and how much this meant to him.

"Eponine, why don't you tell me you're favourite memory of you and Gavroche?" Marius says. "As long as you hold on to his memory, he will never truly die."

"Well, I suppose one of the most fun times I had with Gav was when we took our day's earnings and hid the coins all over the inn for our parents to find." I say. "We left our empty pouches on the table with a piece of paper that said 'If you want the money, you'll have to find it yourself.' We took off until late that night; I think we hid out in this café, actually. Then we snuck back in through the window. Needless to say, my father was especially unimpressed with us the next morning. But it was good fun none the less."

Marius laughs and I can't help but smile at the memory.

"Tell me another story about him." Marius urges me.

"Alright, let me think…" I start. "Oh, there was this one time at school, I was waiting for him to take him home and this one kid shoved him out of the way and knocked Gav on the ground. Gavroche didn't say anything. He just got up as if nothing was wrong and started chasing the kid down the street. Gav grabbed his shirt and stuck his tongue out at him. Then he turned around and walked back to me, took my hand and we walked home. He couldn't have been more than six at the time."

"Gavroche was such a great kid." Marius muses.

"Yeah, he was."

"He'll always be there though, 'Ponine. In your heart."

"I know."

There is a knock on the door.

Marius opens the door and finds that it's Grantaire.

"Not interrupting anything, am I?" Grantaire says.

"No." I say.

"There's food downstairs. You two should come eat. And Joly says you need to take more medicine, Eponine." Grantaire tells us.

"Alright, we'll be right down." Marius says.

"Okay." Says Grantaire, and he leaves, closing the door behind him.

"Eponine, do you want me to go find you an actual shirt so you don't have to wear that blanket as a shirt?" Marius says.

I forgot that I was wearing a blanket as a shirt. "Sure, thank you, monsieur."

"Be right back." He says.

I flop back in bed replaying the events from the last couple days in my head. Marius and I are finally together, two attacks by the French army, my injury, Gavroche's death. So much had happened in so little time.

"'Ponine, it's me." Marius calls and he taps on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes of course." I call back.

Marius is carrying two plain shirts, a pair of pants and even a pair of socks.

He puts the pile on the table next to the bed.

"Thank you." I say, kissing him on the lips.

I begin to unwrap the blanket from around my torso layer by layer.

I can feel Marius' eyes on me as I strip down to my undergarments and I don't feel that self-conscious this time. I let the blanket fall to the floor and pull on one of the shirts from the pile.

"You look lovely." Marius says, kissing me again.

"Why, thank you." I say.

He smiles and takes my hand and we head downstairs.

Downstairs, people seem to be more relaxed than they were earlier today. People are getting a chance to eat and drink. No doubt there's people on guard outside.

"There's enough soup for two ladles full each and there's also some slices of potato." Enjolras says to Marius and I.

"Sounds great, thank you." Marius says.

"Marius, can you get me some food and water? I'm going to get my painkillers from Joly."

"Of course."

I head over to Joly's medical table.

"Hey, Joly. What medicine do I need?"

"That depends. How badly does your head and shoulder hurt?"

"My head's fine, but my shoulder's a little stiff still." I tell him.

"Here, take these with a glass of something to drink." Joly tells me, handing me two pills.

"Thanks a lot."

"No problem. I'm glad you're feeling better." He says.

"Me too."

I go and see that Marius is sitting at a table set for two over in the corner.

"You look particularly handsome in this light." I say to him, trying my hand at flirting.

"And you look especially beautiful." He whispers.

I give him a shy smile.

"You know, I'm still don't know how to respond to compliments." I admit. "Never once in my life have I been told that I'm pretty or worth it."

"It's okay, you're doing just fine." Marius assures me.

I put my potatoes in my bowl of soup and plunge my spoon into the bowl and gulp it down. I don't know how long it's been since I last ate a full meal.

"You put the potatoes in your soup?" Marius looks at me skeptically.

"Yeah, it's pretty good. It adds flavor." I say.

"Alright, I'll give it a go." He says and some potatoes in his own bowl.

He takes a spoonful and slurps it down.

"Hmm…not bad." He says and continues to add the rest of his potatoes into the soup.

I laugh at him.

This is nice. Just the two of us, alone, sharing a meal.

We finish up our potato soup supper and clean up our dishes and then we go hang out with Grantaire, Enjolras and Coufreyrac and have a glass of wine.

"Let the wine of friendship never run dry!" Grantaire exclaims and we all clink glasses in cheers that we have each other and that we have survived another day.

* * *

**I know this was a longer chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Please let me know your thoughts and review it! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I'm thinking about wrapping up this fic within the next few chapters because I want to stay relatively true to the story so if you have any suggestions of what you want to happen or how it ends _please review and let me know!_  
**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 13**

Later that night, when I am up in my room by myself, I start crying again.

Marius is still downstairs with his friends, probably drunk by now.

I wish he would come up. I need him now more than ever. I need him to tell me "it's okay" and hold me close in his arms.

I lie down in bed and stare out the window. The world seems cold and empty outside tonight.

After a little while, the door creeks open and Marius slips quietly into the room.

"How are you doing 'Ponine?" he asks.

"Not great." I admit.

"I'm sorry it's been a rough day." He says.

"Thanks." I say.

"Time heals all wounds." He reminds me.

"We'll see." I tell him.

"I'm going to go get a cloth and wash my face. I'll be right back." Marius says on his way out of the room.

I begin to take off my shoes and clothes and get myself ready for bed.

Marius returns only a few moments later. He is no longer wearing his shirt and he carries his shoes and shirt in his hands.

He quickly closes the door behind him.

We are both standing in the middle of the room, half-naked, starring at each other.

Suddenly, I am wrapped in his embrace and he is kissing me fiercely and passionately.

His hands run down my chest finishing taking my shirt off and he throws it on the floor.

He grabs me around the waist and I jump up into his arms and start kissing the top of his head.

He carries me over to the bed puts me down and we fall back and I am on top of him.

I push off his pants from the waist down and we roll over so he's on top of me and he does the same to me and he strips off the remainder my undergarments as well.

He kisses my hair, my lips, my neck and makes his way down my body.

We get tangled up in the sheets. Our fingers are entwined in the other's hair and we are still kissing each other with great intensity.

We roll over and we are lying on our sides looking deep into each other's eyes.

I run my index finger from the tip of his nose, I trace the outline of his lips and I continue all the way down his naked body.

He reaches around me and pulls me back up so I am lying on top of him once again. I have one leg on either side of his waist.

I lean forward and press my lips firmly against his and he kisses me back just as passionately. I roll over back off him onto the mattress.

I slow down and kiss him gently on his forehead, then his nose, and then his lips.

His arms are still wrapped tight around me. I never want to let him go.

I can feel Marius start to relax and slow down too.

He kisses me gently on the mouth and then slowly pulls away.

Breathing heavily, we lie on the bed, gazing at each other.

Marius has one arm wrapped around me. I feel safe right here and right now with him.

I give him a smile and he smiles back at me.

After a few minutes, Marius gets out of bed and puts his underwear back on.

Taking that as a cue from him, I also put my undergarments back on.

We crawl back into bed and Marius holds me and cuddles me close.

Neither of us says anything for a few minutes.

"That was good, I think." I say.

"Yes, it was." He agrees and lets out a laugh.

"I love you, Marius." I whisper.

"I love you too, Eponine."

I put my head against his shoulder and Marius strokes my hair.

Eventually, we both fall asleep.

Finally, I'll sleep in his embrace at last.

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**haha I know it was a short chapter but I just wanted to focus on what happens between Marius and Eponine in this chapter. ;)**

**Please read and review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Authors' Note: I'm very sorry about the lack of updates recently! I've been busy with school but don't worry I didn't forget about it! Thank you for your patience so I'll reward you with a nice long chapter. :)**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 14**

I wake up to the sound of rain still hitting the roof of the café.

Marius' arm is still around me and I am nestled up against him.

I just smile. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping.

I roll over and kiss him on the forehead

He blinks awake and sees me.

"Good morning, beautiful." He says and kisses me on the mouth.

"Good morning to you, too." I say, kissing him back.

"That was good last night." He whispers in my ear.

"Yes it was." I agree, smiling at him.

We lay there in silence for a few minutes, gazing deep into each other's eyes.

"So, what are we going to do now? Keep fighting, leave the barricade, stay here?" I ask him.

"I don't know 'Ponine. I want to keep fighting but I can't risk losing you. By staying here we are in a lot of danger." Marius says to me. "I need some time to think about it. But for now, let's go downstairs and see what there is for food. I'm starving."

I let out a laugh "Of course, take all the time you need."

"We might not have that much time left…" He says trailing off.

"Shh, don't think like that." I tell him and give him a kiss.

"As long as you're mine, I'll make every last moment last." He says.

I smile at him.

"You're hungry? Let's get moving then."

I slip out of bed and remember that I am still only in my undergarments. I pick up my clothes off the floor and begin pulling my pants on.

I can't help but glace across the room at Marius, who is also still only in his underwear.

Damn, he is hot. It's kind of hard to see his full body in the dark tangled up in sheets.

He notices me staring and just laughs.

I try to pull my shirt on but my shoulder is very stiff this morning and it hurts a lot.

"Marius, can you help me with my shirt?"

"Your shoulder hurts?"

"Yeah."

"We'll get you some more pain medication and we should probably get Joly to change you're bandages."

"Okay."

I have one arm in one sleeve of the shirt and Marius grabs the other sleeve and helps me get it on over my shoulder.

"Thank you, monsieur." I say, as I button up the shirt.

Marius tidies up the room and makes the bed so that no one will ever know what went on in here last night.

He takes me by the hand and leads me out of the room and downstairs.

"Hey Marius, Eponine." Grantaire greets us. "Sleep well? Sleep at all?" he says winking at us.

"Oh, shut up." Marius says.

"C'mon, nothing happened last night?" Grantaire asks skeptically.

"I said shut up." Marius says, turning a deep shade of red.

"Oooh, you dirty love birds." Grantaire says.

"Leave it, Grantaire." I tell him.

"Good way to make the most out of your days…or nights." Grantaire remarked.

"What is there for food?" Marius interjected, hoping to change the subject.

"There's some oatmeal." Grantaire sighed.

"'Ponine, you go see Joly about your shoulder, I'll get us food." Marius tells me.

"Okay."

I walk over to Joly's medical station.

"Hey Joly, my shoulder hurts. I definitely need some painkillers and Marius said my bandages might need changing."

"Sure thing, Eponine." Joly says, gesturing for me to come over to a tabletop.

Joly hands me the painkillers and a glass of water. I swallow the medication and Joly begins to peel the bandages off my shoulder.

"So how was you're night?" he asks me.

"Fine." I reply.

"Just fine? Nothing exciting happened?"

"Not much exciting happens around here." I answer.

"What, Marius isn't exciting enough for you?" he says with a smirk on his face.

"Oh lord, not you too!" I groan.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry. It's not really my business." Joly says.

"You're right. It's not." I snap.

"I can't help but be curious though. Marius has been my friend for years and he's never really shown an interest in a girl like he shows an interest in you."

"Except for Cosette." I mutter under my breath.

"Well yes, I suppose so. But he must really like you if he went the distance" Joly says. He rubs cream on my shoulder and wraps it back up in clean bandages.

"Joly, just stop."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

I just glare at him.

"Well, you're shoulder's been fixed and cleaned. It should be fine for another few days. I have more pain medicine if you need it."

"Thanks, Joly." I tell him.

"Not a problem."

I hop down off the table and go back to the table where Marius is waiting for me with food.

I sit down and start shoving the oatmeal down my throat. I didn't realize I was so hungry.

"Does everyone around here know about us and what we did last night?" I ask Marius.

"It's not a very big place 'Ponine. Things get around." He replies.

"Ugghh" I groan and put my head on my arms on the table.

"Well, it's not really a secret that we're together now." Marius says.

"And I don't want it to be. On the other hand, I really don't need everyone knowing about our private life." I say to him.

"I know, I know. It's just hard."

"I understand that but why did Grantaire and Joly seem to know?"

"Grantaire's had a dirty mind since he hit puberty and he probably told Joly."

"Of course." I knew that Grantaire's mind was a dirty place. I remembered that he hit on every girl in class in school.

"You mean, you've never thought about sex and stuff like that?"

"Not really until I met you." Marius confessed.

"What?" I say, confused.

"You're the first girl I've really been in love with."

"What about Cosette?"

"I barely knew her. I just knew she was gorgeous."

"Yes, but… I just… gah, I can't explain it." Marius says. "I just never felt the same way about her as I do about you now. I can see myself with you in the future. I couldn't see myself with Cosette."

I sit there in stunned silence for a minute.

"Why didn't you say so sooner? I've liked you for years now." I confessed.

"I know. But I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner."

"It doesn't matter when you told me, it just matters that you did." I whisper, grabbing his hand across the table.

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**So what'd you guys think?**

**PS-It may be another little while before I update again due to dance recital rehearsals over the next few weeks but I will do my best okay?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Authors Note: Again, I apologize for the lack of updates recently but dance is over so I'll have lots of time to finish up this story. I'm there will only be 2 or 3 more chapters. Anyhow, hope you like this chapter! :)**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 15**

"Listen up everybody!" Enjolras shouts. He is standing on a table near the door to the café.

"We're the only barricade left." He continues.

Murmurs of excitement and nervousness start to fly around the room.

"We know there will be another attack soon. The army wants to finish us off. Let's not waste lives; if you wish to leave, you may do so. I understand. But it would be greatly appreciated if you would stick around and finish the fight. After all, you all knew of the risks involved in this when you signed up. But the choice is yours. While you make up your minds, there are things to be done. Guns need to be refilled, swords need to be sharpened and we need to get more ammunition as the rain has ruined our gunpowder. Thank you for your courage and bravery through all of this everybody. You have performed valiantly." Enjolras concludes his speech and steps down from the table.

Marius lets go of my hand. He looks extremely conflicted.

He gets up and goes out to where there are guns lined up against the wall. I follow him outside.

It is still raining and people are bringing in food and weapons to keep them dry.

Marius takes the barrel of gunpowder and begins scooping it into the guns.

I too, grab a gun and start filling it with powder.

"What do I do 'Ponine?" he whispers.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I think you have to put your personal feelings and decide what you think is right." I tell him. "If you want to leave and if you value your life that's fine. Just don't let me influence your decision."

"I want to stay and fight but at the same time I want to leave and spend the rest of my life with you."

"I'm not leaving here without you, Marius. From here on in, we're in this together. So we will spend the rest of our lives together, whether that's two days or twenty years, I don't know. It's your choice."

"We've only been together for like three days. I want more time with you."

"I know, so do I." I confess.

"Marius," Enjolras' voice calls from the doorway, "are you staying or are you going?"

"I-I don't know." Marius says.

"What's so hard about making a choice?" Enjolras asks.

"I think I'm just going to leave you two to talk." I say and I slip back inside.

"Marius, who cares about your lonely soul? We strive towards a larger goal. Our lives don't count at all. We need your help." Says Enjolras.

"I know but Eponine won't leave and I refuse to see her get hurt again or worse." Marius snaps.

"But we've come this far, we can't give up now!" Enjolras protests.

"Think logically for a minute, there's about thirty of us and about a hundred of them. Who's going to win?" Marius retorts. "I want to live in this new world, Enjolras. Not die fighting for it."

"Fine. If you don't want to be out in the front with the guns and swords then you can help Joly with medical or you can go upstairs and keep a lookout with Eponine. Having a lookout from up high was brilliant when the enemy was climbing the barricade and we couldn't see them."

"Let me go talk to 'Ponine and I'll come right back."

"Hurry, I expect the attack will be soon."

Marius nods and rushes back inside to find me cleaning up the kitchen.

"Eponine, do you want to leave, help Joly with medical, or keep a lookout upstairs?"

"I know you sort of feel obligated to stay and be a part of this fight so why don't we go be a lookout. It's proved to be useful before. And we're also safer inside so we may live."

"Okay. I'll go tell Enjolras." Marius says giving me a kiss.

"Enjolras." Marius calls. "We've decided that we will be the lookouts for this final battle."

"Very well. Thank you for sticking around and finishing this fight." Enjolras says.

"You were right. We're fighting for a new world that will rise up like the sun. That's a big cause to be fighting for."

"You ought to get into your position then. Like I said, I have a feeling the army is on their way."

Marius comes back over to me, takes me by the hand, and leads me upstairs to my room that overlooks the barricade. There we wait for the final battle to begin.

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**Well, did you like it? Please review and let me know what you thought! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Authors' Note: I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've updated and I've been busy and I didn't know what should come next so I apologize and I hope y'all will forgive me. :)**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 16**

We hear them before we see them.

We can hear the French army marching through the silent streets of Paris in a perfect rhythm.

I estimate it will be about ten minutes before they arrive at the barricade.

I run to the top of the stairs and holler "Ten!" to the revolutionaries downstairs.

I hear Enjolras yell "Ten!" down below and I know that he has heard the warning.

At once, we hear chairs being pushed back from tables and people running around and battle strategies being devised down below us.

Marius gives me a quick kiss before he rushes downstairs and helps get guns and weapons into people's hands. I just stay upstairs and keep watch on how close they're getting.

"Five!" I shout down the stairs again.

"Five!" Enjolras repeats. "Everyone who has a weapon get to the top of the barricade but stay hidden. GO GO GO!"

I pace back and forth in the room waiting for Marius to come back up. I need him back up here before guns and cannons start firing.

"Grantaire and Courfeyrac, get down, you're too far up." I call down to them.

Grantaire nods in acknowledgement and they climb down a few feet.

"One!" I shout.

"One! Get into your positions people, let's not waste lives. Unless it's theirs." Enjolras instructs.

"Eponine!" I turn around and Marius picks me up off my feet holding me tight.

"What now?" I ask.

"Now we wait." He whispers and he puts his arm around me as we sit side by side staring out the window. I don't think I've ever seen Marius look afraid like he does now.

"AND HALT." We hear the leader of the French army holler at his soldiers. They are about 20 feet from the barricade.

"You at the barricade won't give up will you? No one is going to help you so why throw your lives away?"

"We will not give in until the earth is free!" Enjolras replies.

"Very well, CANNONS!" The commander shouts at his soldiers.

Soldiers are rolling out three large cannons from the back lines.

"Hold your fire until they advance." Enjolras instructs. "Wait, wait…"

The French army approaches the barricade.

"And FIRE!" screams Enjolras at the revolutionaries.

Gunshots, swords, knives, and shields are all being drawn and fired from both the revolutionaries and the army.

"They're climbing over!" I yell down.

"Grantaire, on your right!" yells Marius.

"Enjolras, duck!" I shout.

"Feuilly don't turn your back like that!" Marius screams.

"Climb back down! They're getting higher on the barricade!" I holler at the revolutionaries

"Grantaire, Combefrerre, Feuilly, with me. We're going over." Enjolras says.

"No wait!" hollers Marius "They're too close to the top, you're just going to get shot!"

"We have to get over Marius!" Grantaire shouts.

"Then go more to the left, there's less of them over there."

The four boys do as Marius says and they begin climbing over the barricade in to the enemy's territory.

"FIRE THE CANNONS!" shouts the commander.

"INCOMING CANNONS! DUCK!" I yell.

With a boom, the cannon just barely skims the top of the barricade and explodes.

"Get down!" yells Marius "They're preparing another one to be fired!"

Everyone climbs down the barricade a few feet.

"FIRE THE SECOND CANNON!" instructs the commander.

"IMPACT IN 3-2-1!" I warn and with that the front of the barricade is blasted apart.

"Bahorel, on your left!" Marius yells down.

Bahorel shoots the soldier on his left and he falls over the barricade.

"Joly, coming up on the other side!" I shout.

"Enjolras, behind you!" Marius yells. Enjolras whips around hitting two men over the head with his gun.

"Courfeyrac, four coming straight at you with guns!" I shout.

He turns around and looks up at the window and shouts "Thank you, Eponine!"

All of a sudden, the four soldiers who had guns pointed at Courfeyrac have their guns pointed up at the window at Marius at I.

"Eponine, Marius, get out of there right now. We'll be fine!" Enjolras shouts at us.

Without arguing. Marius slams the window shut just as shots are being fired at us.

He grabs my hand and we run down three flights of stairs into the cellar of the café and slip out the back door that is in the cellar and out into the backstreets of Paris. We can still hear the revolution going on behind us but we keep running until we find an open sewer grate. We push our way into the underground sewers and wait for the gunfire to stop.

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**Well, I have one more chapter left to post, and since I'm on vacation, I'll have lots of time to write. But what did you think of this chapter? Review and let me know! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Well, here it is the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

**Before the Barricades Arise**

**Chapter 17**

2 months later…

Marius and I are back in Paris after having travelled to Reims when we ran from the revolution. We followed the underground sewage systems and Reims is where we ended up. We've been living on the streets in sheltered areas and I've been getting money the way I always have; pickpocketing and doing odd jobs for people. It feels a lot like how things were at home before the student revolution happened.

We walk hand in hand down the empty streets of Paris. I'm guessing it's about an hour or so before dawn and the city is still asleep. We walk by the inn that was my old house and decide to go inside and poke around.

There is no sign of my parents, or anyone for that matter.

"How are you 'Ponine?" Marius asks.

"It's weird being back here. I grew up here, lived here my whole life, and now there's nothing." I whisper.

"I would imagine so." Marius says.

I head upstairs to where the bedrooms are. Marius follows close behind me. I bypass my room because I know there's nothing in it with pleasant memories. I do however go into Gavroche's room. I stop in the middle of the room and look around for a minute before I break down crying all over again. There is a small red flag hanging on the wall, a hat that he would sometimes wear and his sous collection pouch were on the dresser, and his blankets are all balled up on the bed since I know he never makes the bed in the morning. I grab a blanket off his bed and burry my face in it and just sob.

"It's okay, it's okay." Marius tries to comfort me and pulls me in a tight embrace.

"No, it's not. I have no family anymore. No one." I cry.

"You have me. You will always have me." Marius says.

"I know. I know." I tell him and kiss him gently. "You know, I never thought I'd say this but I wish I knew where my parents were." I sob.

Marius takes Gavroche's blanket from me and wipes my tears away.

"Perhaps we should go 'Ponine."

He takes my hand and leads me downstairs and out of the inn.

Back outside, we carry on walking down the street. Under the streetlamps, we can see that the cobblestones are stained with blood. We follow the trail of blood until we are outside Le Café Musain. This is where it all started.

As we approach, we find that it too is deserted. The furniture that was the barricade was mostly cleaned up except for the odd bits and pieces here and there. Inside, there are still guns, swords, and knives lined up along the wall and there are more on the floor. Joly's medical beds and supplies were as he left them. There was also still gunpowder everywhere. It looked exactly the same as the night we left it.

Marius sat at a table in the corner where you could get a view of the entire café. Tears were silently streaming down his face. I went over and pulled up a chair beside him and took his hand in mine in my lap.

"Here they talked of revolution. Here it was they lit the flame. Here they dreamed about tomorrow, but tomorrow never came." He said quietly.

I don't know how to respond to that and I've never been good at the whole comforting thing.

"Oh my friends please forgive me that I live and you are gone. There's a grief that can't be spoken, there's a pain that goes on and on." Says Marius.

I don't know if he's talking to me, or just to himself.

"Marius, they didn't die in vain. They fought very well and for a good cause."

"What difference does it make? They will never get to see the new world they fought for."

"But future generations will know what they did. They will never be forgotten." I tell him.

"I should've stayed. I should be dead with them right now. But no, I'm here, all alone, because I was too afraid of losing you. I lost sight of the bigger picture."

"Marius, don't beat yourself up. You did what you had to do. Like you said, we have each other and we will get through this together." I say. I put my hand on his cheek and kiss him softly.

"What do we do now 'Ponine? Where do we go? Where do we stay?"

"I'd suggest we could stay at the inn but I don't think I could handle that." I confess.

"I have an idea, let's stay at my grandfather's house. He's probably not there anymore since he took off before the revolution began. There's no truly horrific memories for me there, and you've never been."

"Yes, I have. Remember when I was out on the street one night years ago, hiding from my parents and you saw me and you let me stay with you for a few days?"

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that but now that you mention it, I do remember."

"So there's no bad memories for you there, there's a good memory for me there, so I think that we should go to your grandpa's house and stay there." I tell Marius.

"Who knows, maybe over time we can make it our own place." He says.

"I think that would be a wonderful idea." I say.

Marius pulls me into a hug and starts kissing me all over my face: my lips, my nose, my neck, my eyes. I kiss him back just as passionately.

"I'm never letting you go." He whispers.

"We'll be together forever and ever." I reply.

"C'mon." he says, taking my hand. "Let's go."

Together, we leave the café and walk towards Marius' grandfather's house into the early morning sunrise.

I guess this is what you could call a happy ending (at least sort of happy) because after all, even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

**The End**

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**Well, did you like the story? Yes? No? Kind of? Review and let me know.**

**I just want to give a quick shout out and thanks to all of you who have been patient with this story (and it's lack of updates at times) and stuck with it til the end. I really hope you guys enjoyed it.**

**I'm going to be writing a Doctor Who fic next featuring Eleven and River Song so check out my profile over the coming days/weeks for that story.**

**Thanks guys! :)**


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